After his dismissal from The Mandalorian, Gina Carano sued disney and Lucasfilm for discrimination and unjustified dismissal, a lawsuit that opens another front in the battlefield over the influence of hollywood in American companies.
Carano, in a complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Californiaalleges that she was fired for expressing right-wing opinions on social media and is seeking a court order forcing Lucasfilm to recast it. Elon Musk, Delivering on its promise to foot the legal bill for users who claim to have been discriminated against due to their activity on its platform, it is helping to fund the lawsuit through X.
In a statement, the head of commercial operations of X, Joe Benarrochsaid: “As a sign of X Corp’s commitment to freedom of expression, we are proud to provide financial support to Gina Carano’s lawsuitallowing you to seek vindication of your rights to freedom of expression in X and the ability to work without intimidation, harassment or discrimination.”
Dismissal and controversial publications
Lucasfilm announced in 2021 that Carano would not return to the hit universe series Star Wars after sharing a post in which he said that “most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Naxi soldiers could easily arrest thousands of Jewsthe government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that different from hating someone for their political opinions?”.
It was the last of a long series of publications in which the former MMA fighter caused the user anger of social networks for right-wing positions on controversial issues. Carano, who was fired from UTA (United Talents Agency) following the controversy, previously mocked government mandates to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic and falsely suggested that electoral fraud occurred during the 2020 presidential elections.
In a statement clarifying the post made on X, Carano said on Tuesday: “My words were constantly twisted to demonize and dehumanize me as a far-right extremist.”
What the complaint says
According to the complaint, Disney and Lucasfilm harassed and defamed Carano for refusing to conform to their views on issues related to Black Lives Matter, preferring pronouns, and disproven claims of election interference. While she was allegedly fired for her cultural and religious beliefs, Carano maintains that the entertainment giant turned a blind eye to her male co-stars, who allegedly made offensive and denigrating posts aimed at Republicans. He points to Pedro Pascal’s 2017 post comparing former President Donald Trump to Hitler.
The lawsuit says Disney required Carano, who was paid $25,000 per episode as a guest star and then negotiated a one-time $5,000 bonus, to meet with a representative of the company. Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination and demanded a public apology.
“The defendants even tried to convince Carano’s publicist to force her to issue a statement admitting having mocked or insulted an entire group of peoplewhich Carano had never done,” the complaint states.
After she refused, Carano was told to meet with the president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedyand 45 employees who identify as LGBTQ+, according to the demand. She refused and was fired soon after. The Mandalorianas well as other titles from the universe of Star Warsincluding Rangers of the New Republic.
Carano also alleges that Disney engaged in a “post-termination smear campaign,” citing the abrupt removal of an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls, in which she appeared as part of the program, in an “effort to defame her.” Although the episode eventually aired, Disney allegedly omitted any mention of his name and likeness in promotional materials.
Carano files lawsuits for wrongful termination and sexual discrimination. She seeks a court order that force Lucasfilm to recast it and pay him at least $75,000, plus punitive damages.
“Some of us have been unfairly singled out, harassed, persecuted and stripped of our livelihoods because we dared to encourage conversation, “We asked questions and refused to agree with the mafia.”he said in a statement.
At-will employees, who make up the majority of private sector workers, They often face an uphill road to obtaining compensation for terminations due to problematic online posts deemed offensive and in violation of workplace policies. Unlike public sector employees, these workers are not protected from discipline under the First Amendment.
Regarding X’s financing of the lawsuit, Carano added: “I feel honored that my case was chosen to receive support from the company that has been one of the last rays of hope for freedom of expression in the world.”
Last year, Musk has pledged to fund legal action for X users who say they have faced discrimination from their employers for their activity on the platform. The offer came with no cost limit, and Musk said he would “also go after company boards of directors.”
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
